GRAINTOGLASS
FROM GRAIN TO GLASS : KENT ’ S TOP BREWERIES
WHO DOESN ’ T LOVE A REFRESHING BEER AT THE END OF A LONG DAY ? THE SMOOTH TEXTURE , THE PLAYFUL , BUBBLING HOPS THAT LINGER ON THE TONGUE , AND THE MULTITUDES OF VARIETIES AND FLAVOURS MAKE BEER THE PERFECT BEVERAGE FOR ANY SEASON . ENJOY A FUN FRUITY IPA IN THE SUMMER , FLORAL BOTANICAL BITTERS ON A REFRESHING SPRING DAY , OR A DEEP , RICH PORTER TO WARM YOUR STOMACH WHEN IT STARTS TO GET CHILLY .
Whatever your personal preference , Kent is a breeding ground for some of the best breweries , pubs - and beers in England . From big to small and old to new , each brewery that pops up across Kent has a unique identity and their own twist on what the perfect beer tastes like . Experimentation , and simultaneous respect for tradition , make up the foundations of these breweries , making every drop of beer that much more interesting and exciting . If you are a beer lover , Kent is the county to live in .
Origins
The history of beer making in Kent is a long and interesting one , and dates back centuries to when most of our ancestors were farming the land for a living . In the UK , brewing with hops started at the end of the 15th century . Although it had been imported from other countries for sometime before then , only unhopped beer had been made in England up until this point . Hopped beer was interestingly not accepted immediately , as many of the brewers were immigrants , and the beverage was seen as not ‘ English ’ enough - quite the contrast to people ' s attitudes towards beer today ! Once hopped beer became accepted into the wider consciousness of England , it was Kent ’ s time to shine . According to the British Hop Association : ‘ tradition has it that the first English hop garden was created near Canterbury in 1520 , as Kent was the earliest centre for hop culture due to its suitable soil , established enclosed field system and good supply of wood for the poles and charcoal for drying .’ The Garden of England got its name partly due to this incredible ability to grow hops successfully , and the tradition of growing and brewing hoppy beer has been passed down the generations since . Hundreds of years of knowledge , experimentation and excellence means that the modern day beer brewers of Kent have it down to a fine art . Now the most important question looms on the horizon , where can you get some of this incredible beer ? Well …
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